Electronic gaming machines (EGMs), such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
EGMs have provided a welcome reliability and ease of use to the world of gaming, enabling both the operator and the players to enjoy a more seamless and extended experience. However, with the advent of EGMs, certain problems not heretofore presented have become commonplace. For example, an EGM is typically based on a computing device having a processor for receiving and providing inputs and outputs respectively, as well as a computer-readable medium for storing process variables, instructions, and parameters. Consequently, an adverse event that would not affect a mechanical gaming machine may well compromise the performance or security of an EGM. Similarly, an ill-intentioned person may seek to misdirect the operation of the processor in order to generate personal gain, e.g., by changing odds, causing a payout when none was earned and so on.
In view of the foregoing, authentication and validation procedures may be used to ensure the integrity of the code that is run by the EGM. These processes may be used not only to identify when performance has been inadvertently or intentionally compromised, but also may be required to occur at certain points during the life of the EGM by the jurisdiction in which the EGM is located. For example, validation may performed during EGM production, when the EGM is first installed at a location, when a large payout has been triggered, or other occasions when a validation may be required or desired. The memory components to be validated may include boot up and initialization instructions such as a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) data, user BIOS extension (UBE) loader data for loading specific game code, and jurisdictional data regarding the jurisdictional requirements where the EGM is located.
In conventional EGMs, the memory components to be validated are typically provided as modules that are embedded on the baseboard of the EGM. Due to the location of the baseboard within a CPU box, security enclosure, and cabinet door, however, it is relatively difficult to access these components while the baseboard is mounted in the EGM, and therefore validation typically requires the entire CPU to be pulled from the EGM. More recently, removable BIOS and jurisdiction modules have been used that allow the CPU to remain in place while only the components to be validated may be removed. The relatively small size and hard to reach location of these modules, however, complicate removal and reinstallation. Additionally, these modules have used relatively fragile pin connectors that are easily bent or damaged. Consequently, the current BIOS and jurisdiction modules are frequently broken during field operations, necessitating replacement and causing excessive downtime for the EGM.